It All Comes True

What we can expect – is – a fresh harvest of heroes. These heroes are not yet revealed, but they will be. They are heroes still harbored in their husks, still shaking off their shells, still shedding their old skin. These unveiling escapes will not be silent endeavors – but for right now…there is quiet – the near-silent noise drowned out only by…

The stirring of a solemn blanket over our heads, disturbed, as it were, by…rain.

Rain. Oh, c’mon now – we need the rain – to wash away our bad luck.

But rain like we’re getting now – in Texas, Louisiana, Florida, up the east coast, or in the Gulf of Mexico – we are, somehow, all feeling connected to this, yes? Yes. I believe we are feeling it – and thus, our solemn blanket…

This is the blanket that has now descended over our lives in America. We must be sensitive to those affected, to their needs – to their cries – to their desperations. If you’re on the fence about this, please – don’t be – jump on in and help…

Why!?! Well – collectively, and individually, we, the people, are faced with many things. And – in this day and age, it comes…sometimes in a flood, all at once, and like, out of nowhere.

And not only are things coming out of nowhere – they are coming at top speed!

Not surprisingly, there are at least a few million people who are no doubt busy with big projects going on… So, draped over the collective consciousness of Americans today – there is this curtain of concern, a nuance of nervousness – and – it is the kind of uneasy that comes with conscious or subconscious wrestlings with threat – vast threat – threat that includes a known, familiar, or apparent danger, as well as – the threat of the unknown. This is the woven fabric of our solemn blanket.

But – it’s not so bad…

Threats in our lives are not uncommon – in fact, threats are normal – particularly for sports and recreation enthusiasts. Threats are in the everyday parlance of sports and recreation everywhere. The threats are real, but they are mostly benign. They’re threats in a game. They’re threats of losing a confrontation, or even a contest. But the solemn blanket I’m referencing here is one that comes only once in awhile – when a mass of people are all experiencing the same or similar threat. Not the threat of losing a game – but of losing a life. So, how to save a life – means, being alert, as best we can, and prepared, as best we can…

The will to survive and recover is not as important as the will to prepare to survive and recover.

Does this mean we have to be a little paranoid!?!

Hmmm. Perhaps, perhaps…

But, we’ve said it before – in the new recipe for life, paranoia is a requirement!

And so, what’s that tell us? Aye! Paranoia is part of the new normal? Playing connect the dots for a second leaves us with paranoia as part of the solemn blanket? Hmmm. Maybe. And maybe not…

Man – let’s go back to the heroes…

Mmmm. Can’t. Not yet. The new heroes haven’t been made yet. They’re still just – an idea…

Heroes, as well we know, are made in times of elevated pressure…

Ohhhhhh, yeah! And here’s part of the sports and recreation connection, yeah? We have sports and recreation heroes every season! The pressures of each season press out new hero molds.

Does everybody get to be a hero? No. Does everybody want to be a hero? No. But do we need our heroes? Absolutely, yes!

So, we’re gonna have our heroes, right? Yep! We will have them. They will appear…

But the storms, they come first, and they make us our heroes, yes? If we need the rain to wash away our bad luck, then for sure and for certain we need the storms to make us our heroes…

And if you ever wonder, and you need to puzzle it out somehow, about yourself –

Are you hero material?

Well – here’s your answer…what you believe about yourself – it all comes true.

By Dr. Rodney J. Blackman

Dr. Rodney J. Blackman is the Chair of Recreation Management at the United States Sports Academy, and can be reached at rblackman@ussa.edu.

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